After defeating the Boston Beaneaters and “Old Hoss” Radbourn in his major league debut, George Borchers returned to the mound five days later in Chicago and beat the Philadelphia Quakers and William “Kid” Gleason 7 to 4.
With two wins in two starts the 19-year-old Borchers was, according to The New York Evening World, one of the most sought after players in the National League:
“There are several league clubs who would like to get hold of Borchers, the latest Chicago wonder, the only thing in the way of his acquisition is the $10,000 (the White Stockings were asking).”
Chicago probably should have sold Borchers while there was interest. He injured his arm sometime in June, missed most of July, and according to White Stockings Manager “Cap” Anson “lacks the heart to stand heavy punishment.”
George Borchers
After his fast start, Borchers was just 4-4 in 10 starts when Chicago released him and Chicago’s other 19-year-old “phenom” Willard “Grasshopper” Mains (1-1 in 2 games) on September 6.
The Chicago Tribune said Borchers was on his way to Cincinnati to play for the Red Stockings, “he has plenty on speed and good curves, and it will not be surprising if he makes a success in the American Association.”
After the Cincinnati deal failed to materialize, Borchers accepted $100 in advance money to join the Stockton franchise in the California League. After receiving the money he never showed up in Stockton.
No less a figure than the “Father of Baseball,” Henry Chadwick held out hope that Borchers would eventually be a successful pitcher:
“There is a chance that a first-class pitcher, who played in the Chicago team last season, is going to reform the bad habits which led to his release by Captain Anson in August (sic) last. I refer to Borchers. (John Montgomery) Ward told me that Borchers was a very promising pitcher, and had he kept himself straight be would undoubtedly have made his mark. I learn that be is going to try and recover his lost ground, and if be shows the possession of the moral courage to reform, and the intelligence to keep temperate, he will yet find his way to fame and fortune. Show yourself a man, Borchers, and leave boozing to the weak fools of the fraternity who indulge in it at the cost of a fair name and of pecuniary independence.”
Borchers didn’t appear ready to “reform.” Between the 1888 and ’89 season, according to The San Francisco Chronicle, he signed a contract to play for the Canton Nadjys in the Tri-State League, receiving $100 in advance money and also signed a contract with that Kansas City Cowboys in the American Association, receiving a $300 advance.
In February of ’89 Borchers was awarded to Canton. Kansas City offered to purchase his contract. Canton Manager William Harrington said in The Sporting Life that “Borchers will play in Canton or not at all.”
Borchers left for California.
Upon arriving in Sacramento Borchers was arrested as a result of the Stockton contract. The Los Angeles Herald said:
“George Borchers, the well-known baseball player, was arrested this afternoon on a warrant from Stockton, charging him with having received money by false pretenses.”
Borchers pleaded guilty and paid a fine in March. In April he attempted to sign with the Sacramento Altas. The San Jose Evening News said:
“Sacramento being in need of a pitcher, induced Borchers to agree to play there and asked the Stockton Club to allow him to do so. This President Campbell (of Stockton) refused and the league directors have sustained the action.”
The California League ruled Borchers ineligible for the season.
With too much time on his hands, Borchers couldn’t stay out of trouble. The Associated Press reported on June 27:
“Shortly after 11 o’clock tonight a barn belonging to Mrs. Borchers, mother of George Borchers, the well-known baseball pitcher, was destroyed by fire, causing a loss of nearly $1000. When the Fire Department arrived on the scene George Borchers tried to prevent the firemen from fighting the flames. He was drunk and very boisterous. Finally Chief Engineer O’Meara ordered his arrest. When two officers took him in custody he fought desperately, and had to be handcuffed and placed in a wagon before he could be got to prison.”
The story said Borchers, who “has been loafing about town (Sacramento) for several months, drinking heavily” had made threats that he’d burn down the barn because his mother would not give him any more money. Mrs. Borchers had “recently expended a large sum of money to get him out of trouble at Stockton.”
Whether his mother paid his way out of this or not is unknown, but the charges against Borchers went away, and he spent the remainder of the 1889 baseball season pitching for a semi-pro team in Merced, California.
He returned to the California League on March 23, 1890 when he pitched for Stockton in the season opener against the Haverlys at San Francisco’s Haight Street Grounds. Borchers and Stockton lost 11 to 5.
His time in the league would be short.
In Early May he began complaining of a sore arm; The San Francisco Call said that “Borchers is known to have received an offer from the New York Brotherhood (Players League) Club and the Stockton directors think he’s playing for his release.”
On May 11 Borchers, according to The Sacramento Bee arrived at the ballpark in Stockton, on horseback and “extremely drunk.” Catcher/Manager Mike DePangher sent Borchers home. Borchers instead went on a bender that ended the following evening in a Stockton restaurant where he was arrested for being drunk and disorderly.
The Call said:
“If he took this means to sever his connection with the Stockton Club and join the Brotherhood, he not only brought disgrace in more sense than one upon himself, but has probably ruined his chance of an Eastern engagement.”
Borchers was fined $10 in court, the Stockton club fined him $100 and suspended him for the remainder of the season and sold his contract to Portland in the Pacific Northwest League–but not before the Sacramento Senators attempted to use him in a game. The Call said Stockton protested:
“(Sacramento) Manager (George) Ziegler thought it best not to play him. When George was informed that he was not to play he good-naturedly said: ‘All right, old man,’ and then added, ‘One suspension, one release, all in two weeks.’”
George Ziegler
On June 1 he won his first start for Portland, beating Spokane 7 to 6. The Oregonian said “Borchers pitched a splendid game for the Portlands.”
Borchers split the remainder of the season between Portland and Spokane, compiling a 14-14 record with a 1.44 ERA. When the Pacific Northwest League season ended Borchers returned home to play in the California League again; The Sacramento Record-Union printed a letter from his manager at Spokane, William “Kid” Peeples:
“Borchers has been pitching ball out of sight, and has not tasted a drop of liquor while up north. He says he is going to stay straight, and finish the season with the Sacramentos. He will have all the California boys guessing, as he did here.”
The San Francisco Call said Borchers was “a dismal disappointment” after he lost his first two starts for the second place Senators—both losses were against the league-leading San Francisco Haverlys. San Francisco Manager Mike Finn filed a protest with the league, claiming Borchers should be declared ineligible because he was still on the reserve list of the Spokane club.
Mike Finn, manager, San Francisco Haverlys
In his third start Borchers allowed Stockton to score three runs in the first inning on five walks and a wild pitch, but settled down and won 7 to 6. He beat Stockton again three days later, 15 to 10. The Record-Union criticized all four of his performances and said he had reverted to “his old ways.”
The 21-year-old finished the 1890 season with a 2-2 record for the second place Senators; San Francisco won the championship. At the end of the season the California League upheld Finn’s protest over Borchers and fined Sacramento $500.
The rest of the George Borchers story on Wednesday.
Baseball History Daily 